SCIM and other Input Method Editors; which one to use?

[aldQueiroz]

Hi, Guys.
I've just switched my desktop to Mageia, after a troubled experience with another Linux distro. Still struggling to set everything as it used to be, but I'm confident it will be a successful change.
However, I have some odd requirements: I need language support for non-latin writing systems (namely, Japanese, and Arabic) in my computer, so I can keep on using and learning them more! I've been using SCIM (Smart Common Input Method) to write Japanese and Arabic. But a friend of mine ("guilty for my Linux addiction and recent Mageia adoption!" ) told me that SCIM would be no longer supported, and so I should choose another IME? Is that true? if so, which one would you suggest?

Thanks in advance!

[doktor5000]

I think you should lookout for ibus

[aldQueiroz]

Ok! indeed, installing SCIM is always a pain in that part of the anatomy!
But, how do I do to activate Ibus and use it whenever I try to write in Japanese, for instance?
Thanks again!

[mechatotoro]

Ok! indeed, installing SCIM is always a pain in that part of the anatomy!
But, how do I do to activate Ibus and use it whenever I try to write in Japanese, for instance?
Thanks again!

If you install Mageia 1 (DVD), when you get the summary prior to the installation of GRUB, go to COUNTRY and, to the bottom, you see INPUT METHOD. From there, you can select iBus and Mageia installs it automatically as long as you are connected to the Internet. You later have to download the package ibus-anthy to be able to type Japanese and then iBus works flawlessly. To use it, you must click on the icon on the taskbar and go to "preferences". You see a window in which you must select "add" to locate Anthy (for Japanese). That's it. When you need to switch to Japanese, simply click on the iBus icon and select "Anthy". Rememer to change it back to "Turn off IME" before closing the document you were working with.

Unfortunately, if you install Mageia 1 LiveCD, you do not get the option I mentioned above. I haven't had any luck making iBus run in Mageia 1 Live CD, so I use SCIM in the computer that runs that version. The process to activate it is a bit more complicated, but nothing impossible. I described the process here: http://mandrivachronicles.blogspot.com/2011/04/testing-japanese-ime-in-mageia-1-beta1.html. Now Anthy is fully supported, so you won't have any problems with kanji.

Regards,

[wolfpython]

Hey aldQueiroz,

I recommend you the Fcitx. It rocks in mageia 1 . After installing it , mageia doesn't boot it when X starts, so you can create $HOME/.xprofile,
add the following to it

Code: Select all

export XMODIFIERS=@im=fcitx
export XIM=fcitx
export GTK_IM_MODULE=fcitx
fcitx &